DrumBeat News Vol 8 No 2: Louie Bellson Tribute

Tiger Bill Talk

Welcome to my new and improved DrumBeat Newsletter, which is now a combination newsletter, blog, and podcast all neatly rolled up into one! Every month you will see the DrumBeat Newsletter that you are used to viewing (you will still be notified monthly by email when the latest newsletter is posted) but now between newsletters you can check out my new Drummers Blog by subscribing to the RSS Feed. If you have any questions about how to subscribe to an RSS Feed, post a comment below and I will explain.

What I like best about the new format (and I hope you will too!) is that you can now interact with me in the comment area both in my monthly newsletters and in the upcoming regular drum blogs!

That’s the goods news. The bad news for the month of February concerns drum legend (and personal friend) Louie Bellson who passed away at the age of 84. He had just been released from the hospital and was recovering from a broken hip. His passing was unexpected.

I first met Louie in the mid-1970s and we quickly became friends. We worked out together many times over the years and we enjoyed trying to “cut” each other. One of the things I remember is when Louie introduced me to another drummer, he would always say “Bill’s the kind of drummer that you want to break his arms!” But he meant that in a friendly way… I THINK?

If you aren’t familiar with Louie and his work, I strongly suggest that you check him out regardless of the style of music you play. Start at Louie’s Official Website and then type his name into YouTube and Google. I’m sure you will find Louie to be an interesting player. My personal recollections of Louie, including our first meeting, is on the video clip below.

[flashvideo file=http://www.tigerbill.com/media/bellsontribute.flv /]

In addition to Louie’s passing we also lost Dewey Martin, who was best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield. Although I didn’t know him personally, I always enjoyed his drumming and his singing. Dewey passed away on February 6th at the age of 68, which is far too young to go. But I’m certain that Dewey, Louie, and the other greats that have gone before them are all together now and will be jamming for all eternity!
RIP – I don’t think so. JTE (Jam through eternity) – Now that’s more like it!

What Contest Winning DrumHeads Are Saying…

From: Dawn VerDouw
Subject: Hey Tiger

Wow!!! Thank you for the Book Guide to Drummer’s fills!! It is awesome!!!!

I got it last night. As soon as I woke up this morning I started practicing with it. I would highly recommend it for the beginners like me. It is full of challenging fills.
You’re the best.

Thanks again,
Dawn VerDouw

(Note: Above quote used with permission.)

Congrats to the Winners of Last Month’s Contest!

And a Huge THANK YOU! to the following sponsors for donating the prizes:

Enter My February Contest for Your Chance to Win One of These Cool, Valuable Prizes!

CLICK HERE for a chance to win Led Zeppelin – Mothership – Book of Drum Transcriptions courtesy of Alfred Publishing

CLICK HERE for a chance to win John Blackwell – Master Series – DVD courtesy of Hudson Music

Note: You must live in the USA or Canada to be eligible to enter these contests.

HOT NEWS!

My new online Drum Shop is now open for business! So while my old store’s address will point you to the new location, please update any bookmarks you have to point to my new shop at www.DrummersWishList.com.

The new drum shop has an online Chat where you can reach me directly with product questions or you can leave me a message if I’m out of the office and I will get back to you ASAP.

To celebrate the Grand Opening, and to do my part to boost our poor economy, I’m offering crazy discounts on different items each week – many at less than half price. There are lots of products available in the shop now and many more to come including some brand new items designed to take your drumming chops through the roof! I can’t say any more about that for now, but stay tuned. And be sure to check out my new digs when you get a chance. Thanks!

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Thank You!

I hope that you like my new newsletter format, which I’ve now combined with a blog. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback in the comment area below.

You will still be receiving a monthly email from me to let you know that a new newsletter has been posted. The difference is that it will be posted here and you now have the choice of subscribing to my RSS Feed, which will automatically inform you of updates through your RSS reader. If you aren’t familiar with RSS or how to subscribe, just post a comment below and I’ll be happy to help you.

Between monthly newsletters, I will be blogging regularly about various topics of interest to DrumHeads so please bookmark this page and/or subscribe to the RSS Feed. And rest assured, I will always welcome your comments, positive or negative. I have no doubt that your intelligence level is a mile or so higher than the vast majority of those who comment on the various social networking sites!

Until next time: Take care, have fun, and stay loose.Tiger Bill

Please don’t forget to visit my other sites. You wouldn’t want them to get lonely, would you?TigerBill.com – For Free Expert Drumming AdviceTensionFreeDrumming.com – For Info on my Tension Free Drumming ConceptsDrummersWishList.com – For the lowest prices on the best gear and lesson books/DVDs/CDs

2 Comments

Maurice GreenMarch 10, 2009

Hi from north of the border (Toronto),

Your observation about martial arts is absolutely relevant. As a younger man I did Kendo, and then in latter years took up Tai Chi. Not only is Tai Chi and the whole concept of Chi (Ki)great for playing any instrument, but especially the drums, its great for everything including the infamous “golf”. As they say, its not only in the hands, but also 80%+ “between the ears”. That ability to relax mentally in order to attempt (notice I still have to say attempt not “do”!) poly-rythms really helps keep one loose! If anyone is shy of getting physical Tai Chi is perfect for you. Just feel that energy working its way up from feet to hands through that infamous “gut”!

Hey Tiger. I just got a chance to check out your new blog. I particularly liked the video blogs # 2 and 3. Your comments about Louie Bellson on the video helped describe a great drummer in a way that provided insight to his character. It is nice to hear such personal recollections since they help us to remember that we are all in this together and that if we can help each other out a bit we all come out winners. I have been following your website and contributing to the forums for a number of years now and, while I might be silent for a time, I keep coming back to learn and be inspired. Thanks again.